Iraqis united as soccer players make Cup final

KUALA LUMPUR: Iraq stunned South Korea 4-3 on penalties to make the Asian Cup final for the first time after a match of excruciating tension yesterday that sparked wild celebrations in Baghdad.

The epic match went to a shootout after both sides failed to score in more than two hours of sustained committed football.

It is Iraq's first-ever Asian Cup final after getting as far as the 1976 semi-final against Kuwait, while South Korea failed once again to make the decider of a major event.

The victory sparked a barrage of gunfire in the Iraqi capital, as security forces, militant groups, insurgents and residents put aside their differences and fired skywards.

Authorities had warned of falling bullets - last week's quarter-final victory saw at least three people killed by stray rounds - but the joy of the extra-time win overcame caution as gunmen poured onto the streets.

In emotional scenes at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here, Iraqi players rushed to their supporters to grab national flags as other players wept with joy when the realisation hit that they had won.

"This victory is for the people of Iraq because they deserve it," Iraq's Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira said. "It is also for the boys because they worked very, very hard. Korea are a good team and I thought we neutralised them well. We were better than Korea on the fitness side. It is a game that we will never forget."

The decisive breakthrough came in the shoot-out when man-of-the-match goalkeeper Noor Sabri pushed Yeom Ki-hun's attempt past the post before Kim Jung-woo's shot hit the upright and bounced away.

Iraq are now just one match away from completing their greatest football achievement after they reached the semi-final of the 2004 Athens Olympics and the final of last year's Asian Games in Doha.

It was desolation for the Koreans, who were backing up after their win on penalties against Iran in their quarter-final last Sunday. They must now lift themselves for a third-place playoff in Pelambang, Indonesia, on Saturday.

"I am proud. We were not outplayed once in this tournament," said Korea's Dutch coach Pim Verbeek. We fought like hell. If people think that is not enough, then that's okay."

Iraq had the better scoring chance in an uninspiring first 45 minutes with midfielder Karrar Jassim just failing to get his head on to a cross from Haidar Abdul Amer after 28 minutes.

Skipper Younis Mahmoud had two chances, hitting the side-netting in the 16th minute and sending his shot slightly wide of the diving Lee Woon-jae late in the half.

The Koreans had several chances with goalkeeper Noor Sabri having little trouble defusing Yeom Ki-hun's tame downward header and punching clear a Lee Chun-soo free kick a few minutes before half-time.

But South Korea ramped up the pressure in the second half with winger Choi Sung-kuk's pass blocked by Ali Hussein Rehema with two team-mates in a scoring position.

Noor punched away another attack as the Koreans kept up the pressure on Iraq's goal. Again the Koreans pressed and defender Kim Jin-kyu's header off a corner just missed the target.

The Koreans peppered the Iraqi goal in the final minutes of regulation time but the game went into 30 minutes' extra-time.

Hawar Mohammed had a great chance to put Iraq ahead when Haidar's cross had the Korean defence in a dither and Hawar's shot hit the inside of the post and rolled along the goal-line for Kim Jin-kyu to hack it away.

But it ended in a deadlock that took it to penalties.

Iraq will now play Saudi Arabia who beat Japan 3-2 later yesterday.

AFP

(China Daily 07/26/2007 page24)